Artist pays tribute to father with exhibition

Father’s Day may not be until June, but one grateful son is paying tribute to his artist father the only way he knows how: by dedicating his first exhibition to his favourite teacher. News Five was at the House of Culture in Belize City today for the opening of Alex Croft’s “Uncovered”.

Karla Vernon, Reporting
Twenty-six year old Alex Croft has managed to combine his travels as a tour guide with the training he received in his dad?s studio to produce vibrant, yet serene, images of Belize?s cayes, rivers, and countryside.

Alex Croft, Artist
?Basically I like nature on a whole; it relaxes me, keeps me peaceful, makes me feel like I am in my own zone.?

?Whenever I go on tour, because I work part time for a tour company, places that I visit, they just leave an impression. Basically I try to take or view the picture in my mind, how it looks and then give it a life of what I see.?

The show includes sketches and even a portrait of Jesus Christ. Alex Croft says his father Herman was the inspiration the image. The elder Croft passed away in 2001, but Alex says his dad is always with him.

Alex Croft
?He was the first teacher in my life and one of the person that encouraged me to push on, be the best that I could and show the world my talent. Basically, I just want to let everyone know that Mr. Croft was one of the greatest person in my life and he was one of Belize?s first pioneers.?

?For a lot of young people who want to paint, the best thing I would say to them is, be true to yourself. Go out there, whatever you see or whatever you feel, what you feel like drawing that?s what you should do. Don?t let anyone bring you down, always be on the positive side. If you are drawing, if you are painting and people say, ?Well, I love this or I love that,? use that as a payment towards reaching your goal.?

Alex Croft?s work will be on display at the House of Culture until March twenty-fourth and then moves to the Houses of Culture in Orange Walk and Benque. Reporting for News Five, I am Karla Vernon.

The show is sponsored by the Alliance Bank and the National Institute of Culture and History, NICH. Also on display at the House of Culture in Belize City is “Point of View” an exhibition of photographs taken by Belizean children.